Remembering A Welsh Rebel

Shoni Sguborfawr (Johnny Big Barn) was a notorious thug born in Merthyr Tydfil (his real name being the rather plain John Jones.) He is known for his part in the Rebecca Riots. By the time he reached 30 years old, he had made a name for himself as a hard man and was seen as one of the toughest men in 'China' (an undesirable area of Merthyr where the poor rubbed shoulders with villains and ruffians.)
In the 1843 Shoni found himself before Merthyr Magistrates for being drunk and brawling in the streets. He escaped a prison sentence that time after promising ‘to lead another life.’ But was soon in front of the Swansea Magistrates on an identical charge. As you can tell he was quite a handful.


Rebecca Riots

After these encounters with the magistrates Sguborfawr found work in the village of Pontyberem where he was then hired to take part in the Rebecca Riots.
Soon after he was involved in yet drunken fight in Pontyberem. After the riots Sguborfawr began using extortion to gain money from several farmers, stating he would reveal them to be Rebecca Rioters. He was arrested in Tumble in September for shooting a man in Pontyberem and was tried at the Carmarthen assizes and sentenced to transportation for life on the charge of having shot at one Walter Rees at the New Inn, Pontyberem with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (and not, as is generally supposed, for his share in destroying turnpike gates). Upon hearing his sentence Shoni roared with laughter. In gaol he revealed the names of several of his associates.
Shoni was taken from Carmarthen gaol on 5 Feb 1844 to the Millbank penitentiary (with him was fellow rioter Dai'r Cantwr.) After the two were seperated he was placed on a prison ship (the Blundell) on 8 March, reaching Norfolk Island, a station for convicts on 6 July where he remained until being transferred to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) on 8 April 1847. He was placed in the service of several people, but Shoni behaved as he had done back home in Wales and was constantly in trouble for stealing vegatables, refusing to work (unless he got extra rations) and his favourite for being drunk and disorderly. In Tasmania he was sentenced to various periods of hard labour and solitary confinement before being granted a ticket-of-leave on 19 Sept 1854. However this was revoked on 8 Dec of that year, when he was sentenced to eighteen months hard labour for another assault. He did not serve the full sentence that time but was not out of trouble for long. On 10th March 1856 he was given three months hard labour for.... you guessed it drunkenness. (I like this man.) He was finally granted another ticket-of-leave on 2 December 1856 and was conditionally pardoned on 20 April 1858. The date and circumstances of his death have never been ascertained. Shoni Sguborfawr was described by a stuffy nosed contemporary as ‘a half-witted and inebriate ruffian.’ And what is so wrong with those?
A true Welsh rebel.